Transportation system



Filed June 12, 1950 3 SheetS-Shet l July 1, 1931. vH. L. KNX 1,813,625

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Filed June 12, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E E 'AToRNEY July v7, 1931. H. L. KNox TRANSPORTATION-SYSTEM Filed June 12, 19:50

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORN EY Patented July 7, 1931 rzrsnr verrer:

Application "pvledfJuneilZ, 1930. VSerial For :This Ainvention relates `to ,transportation andhas special reference to a penuinatictube system offtranspnftation "for passengers. and baggage andother freight.

{(Dne, important obj ect offthe invention is: to improvethe general constructionof such systems.

A' second importantobject of .the invention is to iI'Jr'ovide. danin'iproved loombined lo vacuum and pressure system oigthischanacter.

A third vimportant :obj ect1 of the .invention is to provide an 'improved V(arrangementof pneumatic tube. having -.1neans spaced therealong .and communicating. therewith for L.reinforcing orl bo'osting 4.the ,vacuum ,and pressure conditions.

A .fourth .important l object .of the :invention is .to provide .an improved valve ar- 2G rangement vfor the tubes of such system.

A lifth important object oflthe invention is to provide an improved .arrangementof ear and track for such a system.

`lViththe aboveand other objects invieW,

25 as Will be presently understood, .the invention consists in generalof certaingnoveL-features of construction .andlcombinations :of partshereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawvingsand specili- 33 callyv claimed.

.ln the accompanying .dravvingsdike characters of referenceindfieatellike.parts in ,the sevcralvieivs, and:

Figure-lis an. elevation, partly-iin section, .showing 1 a. system constructed in 1 accordance 4With this invention and running under a river on thev bottomfthereof';

.Figure 2 isa .vertical .section, tli-1ougl1a portion of. the tube of this systemand-show- 4e innV a station elevator and car. n

:Figure Bis a plan view in .diagrammatic form showing .a tube systemin accordance with-this invention'.

.Figufe .4 .is an Venlarged cross section 45 through a tube and c ar constructed linaccord-ance with..this-invention. y

-Figure is a cross .sectiouthroughthe valve portion of .such -a tube.

--Figure C isasection on.the..line..6.-...6 of .Figure 5.

The tube l0 forming the transportation tube. of :this invention may be made l olf any preferred .material as one .example of .such construction may `have .an inner portion .o`r lining .l1 A(see iFigff) and an outer portion .55 oncasingll, tlie-liningll being of steel and the; casingibeing of concrete. ANaturally:the lining will =be formed .in lsections suitably joined andeach sectionmaylbebuilt upof joined plates. bviously, fthis nietliod of .60 forming metaltubes is old and vWell.ylnloivn-L as arezvarious.methods of-jeining1 tubelpl-ates and sections to ,provide a -smooth interior.

I liavenot, therefore, deemeclr it. necessary-to show-.such details. of. construction as I amit 65 liberty to use any and allofftheseolfdand Well'flrnown.details.` i'

Likewise, the tube has' here been shown as circular in cross sectionbutl may' use'. any cross sectionl .mayftin-df best .adapted v'to the 7 0 particular' case. A "L A s-hereshowvn the. tubejlO extends beneath a .river and rests, on the 1 bottomflfth'ereof with its ends ver;tending up through 'the banks .1l-"5. Tliedtubeasthusshovvn is .sub- `-75 aqueous centrally and subterranean ,terminally.` i However, for land.transporationthe .tube may be entirelyfbelow thesu-rface, en-

tirelymabovethe-surface,0r .pn rtly below-and partly abovethe surface. lt maybecarrie'd .80

onfbridges and trestles Avhererdesired yand may l anchored by any .suitable .means .at any desired distance belowrthe sunfaceaoff'a body -oifivater, the particularlocation of-Ithe .tube beingiinmaterial soi-far as. conc erns the .S5

principles ofztlie'invention.-

The foregoing fatslare. mentioned to. show aiwide' adaptability ofthe.inventioninloca- .ltion, form and constructionandithose v@features .which dealimmediately :.Witliithis n- 90 ventio-n ivillnoWIbe considered.

,The .main :tube l1.0 1s, vas shown in Figure L 3, preferably ina-.dein the .;-form of a closed loop having. spacedfstationsl and Wlililebut twofstations'are h'ereshovvn as inanvymayib'e 95 ern'ployed t .as the .eXigencies .of the A'ease :require. If desired, Where the st'ations .are

i below i ground, .an .elevator L17' .may be elnployedtq convey passengers: to and .-.fromi the station. A .powerhouse 1at 18:isf preferably .ix Q

located adjacent one of these stations and contains a suitable motor 19 to drive a main fan or blower 2O of any well known type. A suction pipe 2l leads'iirom the tube l0 to the intake of the tan 2O and from the outlet ot this tan a pressure pipe 22 leads to the tube 10, the suction pipe opening into the tube on one side of the station and the pressure pipe opening into said tube on the other side of the station, the first side being the side from which the cars enter and the second side being that from which they depart. A suitable valve 23 is located at the incoming side of the station closer to the station the opening ot the pipe 2l and this valve opens toward the station. Similarly, avalve 24 is located at the outgoing side of the station between the station and the opening or" the tube 24 and opens away from the station. :Each of these valves is of like construction as in Figs. 5 and 6 and consists of a casing 25 interposed between two sections ot the tube 10, this casing being et greater diameter than the body of the tube. 'thus an annular channel 26 is formed within the tube 10 at this point. A series of orange peel valve leaves 27 are hinged in this channel as at 28 and are urged together by springs 29 to close the valve. The valve is thus of conoidal form. The leaves, when the valve is open are housed in the channel so as not to interfere with the passage of the car past the valve, the open position ot' a leali being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6.

At one or more suitable points in the length of the tube 10 is a booster tan 30 driven by a motor 3l and having its suction and pressure sides connected at spaced points with the tube 10 by a suction pipe 32 and pressure pipe 33. A. single valve 34 is interposed in the tube l() between the junction points of pipes 32 and 33 and is of the same construction as the other valves.

The car consists of a cylindrical body 35 lhaving conoidal ends 36 and is provided adjacent each end with a packing ring 37 ot asbestos or other suitable material fitting closely in the tube 10 to prevent air passing the car. Preferably the car may be divided into compartments by a deck 38 and partitions 39 and one of these compartments may be provided with seats 40 for passengers, the

other com Jartments beinO used for ireiv'ht a V o 7l mail and the like.

It should be mentioned. that adjacent the valve 23 is a compressed air tank 41 supplied with compressed air communicating with the incoming end of the station sec* tion of the tube l() through a valved pipe 42.

The car may run on wheels or the like but I preferably support skids 43 running 0n well lubricated fiat rails 44.

In operation, the car is forced through the tube between stations by air pressure from. behind, a partialjvacuum being pro.

duced in front of the car to aid this air pressure. On arriving at a station the inertia of the car will carry it through the valve 23 and suitable braking means (not shown) may cause it to stop opposite the station platform. rlliere will now be no tendency or the car to move from the station as the air in the body of the tube 10 will be by-passed through the tan 20. When it is desired to again start the car the valve in the pipe 42 is opened which will admit compressed air between the car and valve 3 and torce the car out through the valve 24 until it moves past the opening ot the pipe 22 into the tube l0 whereupon it will again travel under the influence ot the 20. 'the boostn' tan 30 is used to make up Jfor the losses which arise from the transmission or compressed air through long tubes and the valve 34 prevents the air from the booster tan blowing back from the pipe 33 to the pipe 32 through the short length of tube l0 between these pipes. However, the springs oi this valve are so adjusted that the motion of the car is not appreciably retarded as it passes this valve.

'there has thus been provided a simple and e cient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

is obvious that minor changes may be made in the torni and construction ot the inve ton without departing from the material spirit thereot. t is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

l. in a pneumatic tube system, a continuous main tube having a station section, a casing fitting said tube, a tan having its intake connected to the tube at oneside of the vinterposed between the fan connections and the station section and opening toward the connection of the fan outlet, a compressed air tank, and a valved connection between the compressed air tank and the end of the station section acjacent the intake connection of the fan.

3. ln a pneumatic tube system, a continuous main tube having a station section, a casing fitting said tube, a tan having its intake connected to the tube at one side of the station sect-ion and its outlet connected to the liti tube at the opposite side of the station, and valves interposed between the fan connections and the station section and opening toward the connection of the fan outlet, said tube being intentionally channelled at each valve and each valve consisting of orange peel leaves having theiil major ends pivoted in the channel and their edges and points meeting to form a conoidal structure when closed, said leaves being housed in the channel when open and having springs urging the leaves to closed position, said car having a conoidal en d adapted to enter the closed valve and open it.

1l. In a pneumatic tube system, a continuous main tube having a station section, a casing fitting said tube, a fan having its intake connected to the tube at one side ot' the station section and its outlet connected to the tube at the opposite side of the station, valves interposed between the ian connections and the station section and opening toward the connection of the fan outlet, said tube being intentionally channelled at each valve and each valve consisting of ora-nge peel leaves having their major ends pivoted in the channel and their edges and points meeting to form a conoidal structure when closed, said leaves being housed in the channel when open and having springs urging the leaves to closed position, said car having a conoidal end adapted to enter the closed valve and open it, a compressed air tank, and a valved connection between the compressed air tank and the end of the station section adjacent the intake connection of the tan.

In a pneumatic tube system, a continuous main tube having a station section, a cas ing litting said tube, a. fan having its intake connected to the tube at one side ot' the station section and its outlet connected to the tube at the opposite side of the station, valves interposed between the tan connections anu the station section and opening toward the connection of the fan outlet, a booster i'an located remote from said station section and having its intake and exhaust connected to the tube at spaced points, and a valve in said tube between the connections of the booster tan and opening toward the connection from the outlet of said booster fan.

6. in a pneumatic tube system, a continuous main tube having a station section, a casing fitting said tube, a fan having its intake connected to the tube at one side of the station section and its outlet connected to the tube at the opposite side of the station, valves interposed between the fan connections andthe station section and opening toward the connection ot the tan outlet, a compressed air tank, a valved connection between the compressed air tank and the end of the station section adjacent the intake connection of the fan, a booster tan located remote from said station section and having its intake and eX- haust connected to the tube at spaced points, and a valve in said tube between the connections of the booster fan and opening toward the connection from the outlet of said booster fan.

7. In a pneumatic tube system, a continuous main tube having a station section, a casing litt-ing said tube, a fan having its intake connected to the tube at one side of the station section and its outlet connected to the tube at the opposite side of the station, valvesI interposed between the fan connections and the station section and opening'toward the connection of the fan outlet, a booster fan located remote from said station section and having its intake and exhaust connected to the tube at spaced points, and a valve in said tube between the connections of the booster fan and opening toward the connections from the outlet of said booster fan, said tube being intentionally channelled at each valve and each valve consisting of orange peel leaves having their major ends pivoted in the channel and their edges and points meeting to form a conoidal structure when closed, said leaves being housed in the channel when open and having springs urging the leaves to closed position, said car having a conoidal end adapted to enter the closed valve and open it.

8. In a pneumatic tube system, a continuous main tube having a station section, a casing fitting said tube, a fan having its intake connected to the tube at one side of the station section and its outlet connected to the tube at the opposite side of the station, valves interposed between the fan connections and the station section and opening toward the connection of the fan outlet, a compressed air tank, a valved connection between the compressed air tank and the end of the station section adjacent the intake connection of the fan, a booster tan located remote from said station section and having its intake and eX- haust connected to the tube at spaced points, and avalve in said tube between the connections of the booster tan and opening toward the connection from the outlet of said booster fan, said tube being intentionally channelled at each valve and each valve consisting of orange peel leaves having their maior ends pivoted in the channel and their edges and points'meeting to Jform a conoidal structure when closed, said leaves being housed in the channel when open and having springs urging the leaves to closed position, said car having ya conoidal end adapted to enter the closed valve and open it.

In testimony whereof he has aixed his signature.

HOWARD L. KNOX. 

